A/N: This is the 'Sakura figures her shit out' chapter! lol. I tried to make her realization as organic and real as Naruto's, but obviously there's a different kind of weight to hers since she's 'in love' with Sasuke, so...hopefully I succeeded! There is a Sakura-Sasuke relationship analysis toward the end-ish, and again, while it's not bashing Sasuke, per se, like with Naruto's, it doesn't exactly read favorably on their relationship either, so if you like Sasuke or SasuSaku, read at your own risk! That said, hope it's all right!

Don't worry, we'll be getting back to the Kakashi stuff in the next chapter! ;D (Originally, I was going to have the Kakashi stuff and the resolution to Sakura's 'arc' in this chapter, too, hence this chapter taking so long ('cause I was working on that stuff, too), but that was fit to turn into a 9-12k monster, and I didn't want to subject you poor readers to that, haha, so I broke up the chapter again to leave two hopefully-about-equal parts. On the bright side, that means a good chunk of the next chapter is already written! lol. To think that last chapter, this one, and the next were originally supposed to be short scenes in the same chapter! Hahaha! ;))

Sakura finally stops running about halfway through town, lungs on fire and fit to burst. She doesn't pause to catch her breath, though, just keeps walking. She needs to cool off somehow. Besides…

Her fists, tightly-balled at her sides, are still shaking, but not out of blind rage anymore. It's out of shame, fear, and anger at herself now. One of the shop's lights brings attention to something bright red on the back of one, and she slowly uncurls it to get a better look.

There's blood on her hand. Naruto's blood.

Her hand shakes even more, and she's not surprised when a few tears fall on it. She feels sick.

She still can't believe she did that… She broke her teammate, her friend's, nose…! What the hell was she thinking? No matter how pissed she was, he didn't deserve that! She…she's a bitch and a total disgrace to the role of medical ninja…! She's a total disgrace to Lady Tsunade…! She pales when she thinks about what her teacher's going to do to her when she finds out. She totally deserves it, though…

What did Naruto even say that upset her enough to make her snap like that? It's not like he wasn't telling the truth, not…really... The Sasuke they grew up with and the one they saw weeks ago…they weren't the same person. Sasuke's always been dark and goal-oriented, yes, but…not like that. That was…he was talking crazy, and that's…not even counting that he…he tried to…—!

"Hey, Sakura!"

Sakura freezes mid-step and snaps up to see Ino waving at her from her clan's flower shop across the street, dressed in her shop apron with a few pots scooped in her arm. She must be on shift right now. She's grinning widely, and something about that and the flower shop's calming aura draw Sakura in.

"You sure are a sight for sore eyes!" Ino reaches up to wipe some sweat from her brow, her gardening gloves leaving a streak of dirt across her forehead. Sakura can't help but snort a bit and point, and Ino reaches up a little farther to get it with her sleeve, thanking her before getting back on task, hand on her hip and beam in place. "I haven't seen you out and about in almost two weeks!"

Sakura breathes a laugh and gives a small returning smile, but they're shadows of her usual. "Yeah…" she replies, barely above a whisper. Her gaze falls to the wayside. Maybe…coming over wasn't the best idea… Ino's bright and boisterous…reminds her almost too much of Naruto right now…

A lightly-calloused hand closes around her wrist, and she hears a tsk as she's pulled forward. "You look like something the cat dragged in, you know that?" Before she can protest, Ino cuts in, "And don't you try to deny it! You know it's true!"

Puffing out her cheeks, she pouts. "Maybe, but you don't have to say it…"

Ino chuckles, stopping once they get to the cash counter so she can put the 'Closed' sign out. Gently pushing Sakura down onto a stool, she reaches under again to pull out some makeup and hair accessories with a grin. "If you're not gonna take care of yourself, someone has to!"

Half an hour later, Sakura is slowly polishing off a plate of fruit and cookies Ino put out while waiting for her friend to finish her work. It's more than she's eaten in a while, and she's grateful. She already feels a little better, like she can think a little clearer. Blotting one more spot under her eye, Ino finally draws back with a triumphant "And…done!" Flipping open a compact, she holds it out so Sakura can look at herself. "Here! What do you think? I think you look great!"

Sakura takes it and blinks wide eyes. "Wow, Ino…!" She turns her head from side to side to get a better look. Ino's worked hard to give her skin back some of its natural color and added the tiniest bit of blush to her cheeks, covered up the red puffiness around her eyes and the dark shadows under them. The red hairclip taming her most unruly fringe is a nice touch. "You're right! I look better than I have in days! Thank you so much!"

Ino laughs delightedly, sticking her tongue out. "See? I know what I'm doing!"

Taking the compact back, she packs up the rest of the supplies and puts it away, grabbing more food before sitting back down. Don't think she hasn't noticed how malnourished Sakura is, her cheekbones more prominent than she can ever remember seeing. She knows all about what's been going on with her, too, or at least as much as Sakura's parents have been able to tell her in short bursts. Besides Kakashi-sensei, she was the first one to try to visit her when this whole mess started.

Leaning on her arms, she fixes her childhood best friend with a gentle, but serious stare. "So, now that we have you looking better, how about we get you feeling better, too?"

Sakura pales, and her heart sinks in her chest. She drops her gaze again. She's not sure she wants to get into it so soon. She's still…so ashamed…

A poke to her forehead. She looks up. "Should've known you couldn't fool me, billboard brow," Ino admonishes with a wink, a proud, yet still gentle, smirk on her face. "I saw that look before you came over, you know. You're miserable, and I want to know why." Sakura winces and wilts in one, and Ino knows to keep going or she'll clam up entirely. "As your best girl friend, it's my job to notice these things! Then, of course, hear you out and cheer you up," she waves dismissively, "maybe chew you out if need be. So, spill." She points at her, narrowing her eyes. "I mean it. I'm not letting you leave here without getting it off your chest."

Sakura gulps. Hell, she wouldn't put it past Ino to use her novice-but-still-promising Psycho Mind Transmission jutsu on her if it came to that…which just reminds her of how pissed and protective Shikamaru was when he used his Shadow Paralysis jutsu earlier… Sheesh… Talk about a couple of watchdogs. She hasn't seen that kind of behavior from Choji herself, but she's heard he can be protective as hell when he wants to be, too. She supposes that's just another reason the three of them make such a good team.

Taking a deep breath, she sighs heavily. There's obviously no way she's getting out of this, and she knows from Inoichi's work that the easy way is much more preferable. It's now or never.

"Well…I don't know if you know yet, but…Naruto's awake…"

Ino gasps and leans forward, an ecstatic grin on her face. "Wait, he is? Are you serious?" Sitting back, she puts a hand over her heart as she sighs in relief. "Oh, finally! Thank goodness! He's never been out this long after a fight! I was really starting to worry he'd never wake up!"

Unable to help smiling a little, Sakura nods. Ino's always cared a lot about other people, especially her friends, and she finds it really sweet that she was so worried about Naruto. She feels a little bad about not being around to comfort her.

"Yeah, he's…he was awake and seemed totally coherent, so…that's good, I guess …"

Ino brightens even more. "What? You mean you already got to see him?" Then, she laughs at herself, waving a hand. "Oh, wait, what I am saying? Of course you did! You're teammates, and you know how worried he must have been when he remembered what happened! I'm sure he asked for you and Kakashi-sensei first thing!"

Despite herself, Sakura smiles some and softens. "Yeah, he…he did…"

Ino snaps her fingers. "Ha! Knew it!" Sobering, she leans forward again, fingers fidgeting the way they do when she's thinking about having to perform medical ninjutsu. "And he really looked okay? You mean it?"

Sakura blinks. She doesn't think she's ever seen Ino this earnest about a recovery before. Then again, this is one of the only times they've ever had one of their own so close to death. Her eyes fall back to Ino's hands, and she softens further. The fidgeting… She really wants to help Naruto, doesn't she?

She nods, smile growing a bit and even breathing more of a laugh, spurred on by Ino's kind heart. She waves her hands in her own defense. "Yeah, he really did, I promise! He's still pretty banged up since his healing, advanced or otherwise, is mostly at a crawl, but he doesn't seem to be in that much pain. Lady Tsunade and I are keeping him on some pretty high painkillers, and she's making him sleep as much as possible." Her gaze drifts, smile slipping a smidgen. "It…looked like Shikamaru's been taking really good care of him, too." Unlike her…

At the reminder that her teammate's been camping out at Naruto's side these past weeks, Ino can't help but giggle, shaking her head fondly. Really, that boy… "Oh, that doesn't surprise me at all."

Sakura raises an eyebrow and tilts her head. Is…she missing something? "What do you mean?" She knows they're friends, but she didn't realize they were so close…

Ino mirrors her head tilt and shrugs. "You know, with how much Shikamaru admires him and all." Suddenly, that thought in mind, an idea strikes, and she gasps and springs to her feet, giggling excitedly. Looking around at her huge selection of flowers, she waves at her friend to get her to continue, mind whirring a mile a minute. "Keep talking, keep talking! I just had an awesome idea!" She rubs her hands together, unable to contain her joyful relief. "I'm so happy he's doing well!"

Sakura's still confused about this apparent connection between Naruto and Shikamaru, but she can ask about that later. She knows if she doesn't get to the heart of her funny mood soon, florist-brain switched on or not, Ino will get impatient, and an impatient Ino is never fun.

"Yeah, so, anyway, when I went to see him earlier, he was quieter than usual," she smiles a little and laughs a bit more, "but I think that was for my benefit. He could probably tell I wasn't feeling my best. He was…" she softens, "…really sweet, though, held me so gently and let me cry as much as I needed to."

Ino snorts a bit. "Don't tell me you're surprised! He's your teammate and one of your closest friends, and he's always been pretty sweet when he wasn't yelling about being Hokage." She chuckles. "His long-standing crush on you aside, he really loves you, Sakura. Of course he'd be that way with you when he finds out you've been hurting, too. I'm sure all he was thinking about was how much he wanted to be there for you."

Ino's facing away from her, so she can't see the way Sakura is visibly feeling worse and worse the longer Ino goes on about how good a friend Naruto is. She's right… She's totally right… Which just reinforces the fact that she's really gonna get it when Ino hears what she did…

"Y-yeah…I know…" Ino's not an idiot. She can hear the unease and apprehension in Sakura's voice. But she doesn't stop or turn around, just lets her go. She wants to know what's going on, and she knows the fastest way to do that is to let her get it out. "Anyway, then I remembered Pakkun saying Naruto needed to tell Kakashi-sensei and me something, so I asked about it. He…got really nervous and scared all of a sudden, and then after Shikamaru calmed him down…he said…"

She falters here, biting her lip. Ino was her rival for Sasuke's affections when they were younger, sure, but she's moved on since then, and she was also one of the ones who wanted to go after Sasuke and take him out herself. So…maybe she shouldn't say…? But then again, if she doesn't tell her herself, she's going to find out on her own terms, so… Geez…

Ino, for her part, just keeps gathering what she needs, trusting her to talk when she's ready. Finally, there's a shallow, shaky breath.

"He said…he wants…" she can barely breathe past the weight of these words; no wonder Naruto had so much trouble getting them out, "…to give up on Sasuke…"

Ino freezes, nearly dropping the flowers in her hands in shock. Oh…! Well, that's…not at all what she was expecting… "Okay…so…what'd you do?" She's careful to keep her voice even and low. She doesn't want to freak her out or make her think she's judging. She won't pass judgment until she knows all the facts. That's something her Dad taught her a long time ago.

"I…I…"

Sakura mumbles something, but Ino doesn't hear what. "Sorry, I didn't hear you. What'd you say?"

"I…I hit him…" Ino goes still again, but for a very different reason this time, her protective instincts buzzing at light speed under her skin. Sakura's voice shakes as she clenches her fists tightly, digging her nails into her palms. "I…I broke his nose, Ino…"

It's silent for a long few furious-flower-picking seconds, and Sakura doesn't dare break it, doesn't even dare to breathe.

"You did what?!" Ino finally shrieks. Sakura flinches. She was expecting it, but still.

BAM!

"Ow!" Sakura clutches her head. "Hey, Ino!"

Ino glares down at her, chest heaving. "How's that feel? Not good, huh?" Sakura blinks. "And you deserved it! Naruto didn't!"

Sakura reels back, hurt, yet also effectively chagrined. She doesn't say anything, though, at least not yet. She can tell Ino's not done, and she knows better than to interrupt.

"The rest of us gave up on Sasuke a long time ago! Are you going to hit us, too?"

Sakura's eyes widen, and she shakes her head quickly. "N-no, I—of course not!"

Ino turns on her heel in a huff, fists clenched tightly. She brings out an orange vase and starts putting the flowers in, arranging them just so. Besides her sense of purpose feeling renewed in this endeavor for her injured friend, she also needs something to do with her hands so she doesn't wring her best friend's neck. "Honestly? I'm relieved as hell, and I know the others will be, too! It always scared the crap out of us, what might happen to him one day, you know?"

This time when Sakura doesn't respond, it's more out of not knowing what to say. It's always scared her, too, but…she always thought he'd succeed and bring Sasuke back one day, so… Was she…was that selfish of her? Naïve? She looks down at her now-clean hands, remembers the way the blood, Naruto's blood, turned the water red as it washed down the sink. Her stomach churns, and she has to bite her lip hard to keep it from trembling.

Ino's own hands slow in their work as she thinks back over the years, glancing over at Sakura as she makes her next points. She doesn't miss her guilty fixation on where Naruto's blood stained her skin. "When Sasuke first left the village, I thought it was temporary, you know? That once Naruto got to him, he'd use his Emotional Intelligence jutsu and get him to come back." Ino chuckles, even more so once Sakura's incredulous look comes into play. "Sorry, that's just something the others and I've nicknamed his thing where he talks to our enemies and makes them realize they're wrong. It was actually Shikamaru's idea of a joke that just…kinda stuck."

Clearing her throat, she sobers. "I'm serious, though. I really thought that would be the end of it. I think we all did. But then, when Naruto came back beaten to hell with a huge hole through his chest, on the verge of death, and we found out Sasuke was the one who did it to him…" she frowns deeply, brow wrinkling, and she has to actively remind herself not to crush the innocent flowers in her hand in her protective rage, "…that's when we decided that was it. Sasuke wasn't one of us anymore. We were done."

A heartbeat. Her voice lowers, a light, warm, almost reverent quality to it Sakura's seldom heard. The smile on her face matches. "Shikamaru was the first. It was like a knee-jerk reaction for him, instinct or in his bones or something. I've known him my whole life, and I'd seen him angry before, of course, but never like that… It was actually pretty scary. He was like a demon out for blood or something. The only other time I can remember him being that scary since was…" her voice dips some more, "…after Asuma-sensei was killed…"

Sakura sits back, taking it all in as best she can. "I…I never knew about that…" It all makes so much more sense now, why the others would be so ready to go after Sasuke and put him down themselves, why Shikamaru, of all people, would be the one to resolutely stay by Naruto's side.

Ino shrugs. "We didn't exactly want you to know. We knew how you and Naruto still felt about Sasuke, so…we didn't want to upset you. Honestly?" She sighs a bit. "We thought you guys would've given up on him way before now…"

Sakura looks away again, shoulders slumping. It feels like everyone's against them – or just her now, it seems… "I see…"

It's silent for a few long moments while Ino gathers her thoughts. Then, quietly, gently, but also sternly because she knows this is something her friend needs to hear, "Chasing Sasuke like this…it's not healthy. It never has been. You know that, right?" Sakura curls into herself a little more. She…on some level, she does, but…she can't… How can she just…? "Especially for someone like Naruto."

Sakura snaps up at that, eyes wide, and instead of seeing Ino and her little flower shop, she sees her memories of Naruto replaying in her mind's eye. Naruto, who's always been alone, who's so touch-starved it actually hurts to see, who's always yearned for even the tiniest shred of attention and affection and love, who's always been the kind to all-too-willingly drag himself through the fires of Hell and back if it means he can save someone he loves.

"It was always going to lead here. It was always going to end up this way," Ino goes on. "Look at the signs, really think about it. Remember how Sasuke was growing up, what you saw in him that day he and Naruto fought right in front of you. There wasn't a single thing that was ever healthy about any of this." A heartbeat, blue eyes bearing into green. Just like with Naruto… "Even you have to know that."

Turning back to her flowers to give her friend time to reflect, Ino takes them out to cut the stems, and then puts them back in the now-watered vase. She fluffs them a bit, wanting to make sure her babies look their best for their intended person.

Sakura…isn't sure how to feel, what to do. Ino has a point. A few of them, actually. Really good ones. It's hard enough admitting that. So…what does that mean…? Is she as wrong as all this makes her sound? Has she…her promise really put that much horrible pressure on Naruto? She knows that's not the only reason he's kept going after him, it was for himself, too, but...she's at least halfway responsible. Does this…make her love for Sasuke wrong, too…?

"Personally," Ino pipes up after a few minutes, nothing but adoration and relief in her voice, "I'm really glad Naruto finally understands the way things are, even if it did take him nearly dying again to see it."

Sakura stiffens at that, heart beating faster. She clutches the small table between them till her knuckles turn white, yet she's still careful to be mindful of her strength. No matter how pissed she is, she doesn't want to add property damage to her list of mistakes tonight. "'The way things are'?!" she repeats, tone sharp and biting. She glares fiercely, denial flashing white-hot through her veins. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Ino turns to her, but doesn't answer right away. She studies her expression and body language and purses her lips. She's guessing this is how she was with Naruto, too. Leaning back against the counter, elbows cradled in her palms, she says, "Can I ask you something?" Momentarily thrown out of her ire by the sudden question, Sakura raises an eyebrow, but nods. "What made you fall for Sasuke anyway? What did you like about him?"

Sakura's eyebrow just climbs higher, even more confused now. "What do you mean? He was super smart and hot and the coolest boy at the Academy. You remember, don't you?"

Ino nods a few times, waving a hand. "Well, yeah, of course! But those are givens!" She flips her hair. "What else?"

Sakura opens her mouth to respond, but then has to close it. She opens and closes it several times for a good thirty seconds, wracking her brain for something, anything, she can say, but…she ends up not saying anything. She can't. No matter how hard she tries, she finds she doesn't…have an answer…

Thinking back to when she was a kid, even when she was on a team with Sasuke, there's…nothing but what she just named. Sure, she was infatuated with him, but…in the Academy, she hardly ever talked to him out of shyness for the first few years, and once she finally started, all she did was fawn over him. She was no better than those other fangirls of his, really. And even then, it's not like he ever gave her or anyone else the time of day. Even back then, he was focused entirely on getting his revenge.

Even when they were both assigned to Team 7, she still fangirled and wanted to be around him all the time because she thought he was so cool. But…he still never really paid attention to her in return, not the way she wanted him to, at least. All he ever did, even on missions, was call her annoying and stay as far away from her as he could.

Looking back on it, on her side…she never took the time to get to know him for him. She never asked how he was feeling, never thought about the pain he must be feeling, never made an effort to try to help him with his grief. Of course, she highly doubts he would have told her anything or let her get close anyway. He probably would have bitten her head off for even attempting. She remembers the one time she was stupid and ignorant enough to say Naruto was only a brat because he didn't have his parents around, Sasuke blew up at her and stormed off. He was right that time, but still… She thinks…that might be the longest, most meaningful conversation they'd ever had…

So…what was she 'in love with,' then, if it wasn't his personality or his heart, his soul? Was it all talk? Was she? With no basis for it that she can see…

"I…I don't know…!" she admits softly, semi-tremulously. She feels like her whole world's been turned on its head. First with Naruto, and now all this… "I don't think it was so much him as…what I thought he was, how…cool he was in my head. I thought…I thought…" she rests her chin on her knees, draws them closer to her chest, feeling her heart sink lower with every (true) word, "…if I could show him how much I cared about him, I…I could change him…make him forget about his revenge… I thought…he'd become what I…who I thought he could be, who I…wanted him to be…" God, she sounds so selfish and deluded…but at least she knows better now… Damn it, what is wrong with her…?! "But…" she swallows thickly, not even realizing she was about to cry until a few tears make their way down her cheeks, "…I was wrong…!"

Ino finishes picking the last of her flowers and, after tying a bright blue ribbon around the orange vase and a pink ribbon around the new bunch, comes over to sit down beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Sakura takes the offer of comfort gladly, resting her head on her best friend's shoulder as the tears keep coming. And here she thought she'd already dealt with the trauma… "He…h-he tried to kill me, Ino…! Y-you should have seen the look in his eyes… I-it was like he—he didn't even care that we were teammates… He just—he wanted to take out the Leaf and everyone in it… It didn't matter to him…w-who or why… A-all he could see was his goal, and he…" a harsh sob leaves her as this last realization hits her, what Naruto said to her echoing in her head, "…he let revenge taint his soul… H-he chose revenge…o-over the Leaf…over us…a-all those years ago…a-and this is the result…!"

With all this weighing on her mind, it's only natural that she'd also look back at the other end of the spectrum. Naruto…

Sure, he was an obnoxious idiot back in the Academy, but she knows now that that was mostly just for the attention. He'd take any attention he could get, even if all it did was make Iruka-sensei yell at him and the other kids groan. He just…wanted to be acknowledged, remind anyone who would listen that he was more than just the Nine Tails' vessel, that he was a person with a heart and dreams and feelings. When he wasn't doing that or (hilariously badly, now that she thinks about it) flirting with her, though, and especially once they were put on Team 7 together, he was…always nice and supportive, there for her. Saving her.

Even now, years beyond all that, he's stayed, never left her side, and that's…something Sasuke's never done. Throughout all their years together, Sasuke's really…never stood by her at all, never mind at her back. That was always Naruto…

Ino lets her cry it out for as long as she needs to, not caring that her shirt and apron are getting wet. They'll dry, and helping Sakura is more important. This realization has been a long, long time coming, and frankly, she's relieved it's finally happening. She's sure Naruto broke down similarly, not that Shikamaru would ever tell her for fear of betraying his trust. In the end, she's sure the two of them will come back stronger and better than before, together and apart.

Forty-five minutes later, Sakura finally starts calming down. Ino hands her a few more tissues and rubs her shoulder, but she can't stop herself from quietly advising, "You don't meet a great guy like Naruto every day, you know. Maybe you should try not taking him for granted for once, billboard brow." She pokes her forehead once more, gentler this time, to drive the point home.

Sakura sniffs and isn't surprised when a few extra tears fall. Combined with what she was thinking about before…she really has…taken Naruto completely for granted all this time, hasn't she…? The one person who's never left her side, never left her hanging, has always done everything in his power to be there and keep every promise he's ever made to her, even when they've almost gotten him killed… The truest friend she's ever had…

She's the worst…

Letting Sakura think on that, Ino gets up, grabs both bunches of flowers she picked out, and comes back to carefully balance the orange vase of flowers in her friend's lap. "You go back there and apologize and give him these. Shikamaru will know what they mean." Ino crosses her arms and points at her, eyeing her seriously. "You'd better get down on your knees and beg for his forgiveness, or so help me!"

Sakura breathes a laugh despite herself and waves her hands in front of her. She knows Ino's not kidding, but… "I-I will! I was already planning on it!" She really was, too, she's not just saying that. Remembering the way he flinched away from her, though, she frowns, arms tightening around her knees. "But…even if I do apologize…" She looks down at her hands. "Ino, after what I did…" She glares, closing a tight fist around the tear that lands in her palm. "All I've ever done with these hands is hurt him… Sure, I saved his life this time, but today…you should have seen how scared he was of me, of what I did, at least... I wouldn't blame him if he didn't accept my apology...if…" her voice drops, and a few more tears fall, "…if he never wants to see me again…"

Ino tilts her chin up with gentle fingers, an encouraging smile lighting her face. "Hey, don't look so sad. Just start with 'I'm sorry,' and I'm sure the rest will fall into place. If you really work hard to show him how sorry you are and how much he means to you, I'm sure you guys can patch things up!" She wipes away her tears with careful thumbs. "Besides, this is Naruto we're talking about. He loves you, Sakura. You're one of his best friends, one of the most important people in his life. There's no way in hell he'd ever turn you away like that. Just have some faith in him, okay?"

A heartbeat, two, and Sakura breathes a cheered-up laugh, a small, warm smile coming as she picks up the orange vase and holds it close. "I really hope you're right… Thanks, Ino…"

Ino walks her to the shop's edge and makes sure to hand her the bouquet with the pink ribbon, too. "These are for you." She hugs her best friend tightly, and Sakura returns it as best she can with her hands full. She's missed her more than she thought. "Feel better, okay? It'll be fine with Naruto, I promise. Just don't be a stranger from now on, you hear me? We miss having you with us."

Sakura softens. Ino really is so kind… She nods dutifully, a brighter smile than she's given in recent memory lifting her lips. It feels good. "Right! Thanks, Ino. I will. I'll let you know how it turns out, I promise."

"You'd better!" Ino play-shoves her in the direction of the hospital. "Now get outta here! Visiting hours are just about over!"

Hurrying down the street, Sakura half-turns to wave over her shoulder. "Have a good night! Thanks for everything!"

A/N: Chapter title references how it not only takes place at a flower shop, but Sakura's named after a flower (tree flower, but still, lol) and they're getting to the root(s) of her problem (you also pull out weeds (in this case, Sasuke) by the root, so :P). :D

Thanks so much for reading!